Pallet rack beam retainer



Aug. 26, 1969 N A ZAGQTTA ETAL 3,463,325

PALLET RACK BEAM RETAINER Filed June 22, 1967 United States Patent O 3,463,325 PALLET RACK BEAM RETAINER Nicholas A. Zagotta and Charles J. Rogers, Chicago Heights, Ill., assignors to Interlake Steel Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Filed June 22, 1967, Ser. No. 648,005 Int. Cl. A471` 5/00, 5/10 U.S. Cl. 211--143 8 'Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to support structures and in general to collapsible rack structures for supporting loads, such as paletized loads.

In the McConnell Patent 3,303,937, issued Feb. 14, 1967 and owned yby the assignee hereof, an improved pallet rack structure for use in supporting palletized loads is disclosed. The present invention comprehends the provision in such a pallet rack structure of new and improved means for releasably retaining the front to rear members on the transverse beams. Thus, in the McConnell patent the front to rear members are maintained in resting association with the transverse beams permitting at times undesirable movement thereof and not providing any substantial rigidifying of the pallet rack structure. The present invention comprehends an improved rack structure including retaining members effectively releasably retaining the front to rear members in association to the transverse means and providing rigidifyin-g of the pallet rack structure.

Thus, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved rack structure.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a rack structure having new and improved means for releasably retaininga front to back support member in association with front and rear transverse beams.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such a rack structure having a new and improved releasable retaining member for effecting 'such support member retention.

A yet further feature of the invention is the provision of such a rack structure having new and improved means for effecting a desired rigidifyin g thereof.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such a rack structure wherein installation and removal of the retaining member may be readily effected.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such a rack structure wherein the retaining member resiliently embracingly grips the beam members to provide improved retention while yet permitting facilitated instal lation or removal thereof.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a rack structure wherein the retaining member permits transverse adjustment of the support members on the beam members while maintaining retained association therebetween.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front perspective view of a rack Structure embodying the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged rear perspective view of a portion of the rack structure, with the retaining member illustrated in full lines in one position for insertion into the support member, in dotted lines as during connection of the support member to the beam, and in full lines in the installed position, portions of the structure being cut away for facilitated illustration of the invention.

- In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, a pallet rack structure generally designated 10 is shown to comprise a plurality of upright supports 11 interconnected by a plurality of front to back frame and diagonal frame members 12. For a detailed description of the frame structure reference may be had to the above identified McConnell patent. As shown in FIGURE 1, the rack 10 further includes a plurality of transverse horizontally spaced front beams 13 and a plurality of transverse horizontally spaced rear beams 1'4. As shown in FIGURE 2, beam 13 comprises a hollow L-shaped member having a front side 15, a bottom 16, a rear side 17 Iand a top 18. The lower leg of the L-shaped beam effectively forms a shelf 19 delining an upper surface 20. The beams 13 and 14 may be secured to the uprights 11 by suitable end plates 21.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the beams 13 and 14 may be suitably spaced to carry pallets 22. Further, rack structure 10 may be provided with a plurality of front to rear support members 23 which extend between the beams 13 and 14, each having end portions 24 resting on the shelf portions 19 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The support members may be utilized to support objects of different shapes and sizes to permit utilization of the rack 10 other than with pallets alone.

Referring to FIGURE 2, each support member 23 comprises a C-shaped channel having a bottom 25 and defining an undercut longitudinal slot 26 opening downwardly through the channel bottom 25. Thus the bottom 25 effectively defines a pair of spaced inturned flanges.

As indicated briefly above, the Support members 23 are retained on the shelves 19 of the beams 13 and 14 in resting engagement with the upper surface 20 thereof. The support member end 24 may be effectively locked to the beam by an improved retaining member generally designated 27. More specifically, retaining member 27 comprises a clip member formed of a suitable material such as sheet metal and having a bottom portion 28, a front turned portion 29 upstanding from a front edge 30 of the bottom 28, and a rear flange 31 upstanding from a front edge 32 of the bottom 28 provided at its upper end 33 with a key or T-portion 34. The front portion 29 and flange portion 31 extend convergingly toward each other at a small angle; in the illustrated embodiment the included angle of each of these members is slightly less than The retaining member is preferably formed of a resilient metal such as steel. The length of retaining member bottom 28 is preferably substantially equal to the width of the beam bottom 16 whereby the retaining member portions 28, 29 and 31 resiliently snugly embrace the bottom of the beam in the installed arrangement of the retaining member as shown in FIGURE 2.

The width of the T-portion 34 of the retaining member is preferably only slightly less than the width of the slot 26 and the width of the T-portion 34 is preferably slightly less than the spacing between the bottom flanges 25.

Thus, the locking of the support members 23 to the rack beams may be readily effected simply by firstly moving the T-portion 34 of the retaining member 27 upwardly into the slot 26 with the T-portion 34 extending parallel to the longitudinal extent of the slot. With the end 24 of the support member resting on the top surface 20 of the ange 19, the retaining member is turned to dispose the T-portion 34 transversely to the support member in the slot 26 and moved to the end 24 with the bottom 28 swung to an inclined position to bringl the front ange portion 29 to below the beam bottom 16. 'I'he retaining member is then swung about a pivot axis defined by the line of engagement of the T-portion 34 with the support anges at the rear side 17 of the beam 13 to bring the front flange portion 29 substantially to the front side 15 ofthe beam thereby to complete the embracing relationship of the retaining member with the bottom of the beam. The height of the rear ange 31 is substantially equal to the height of the shelf 19 plus the thickness of the retaining member anges 25 to effectively retain the support member end 24 on the surface 20.

Thus, the retaining member not only serves to lock the support members 23 to the beams but also effects the rgidifying of the rack structure 10, further improving they usefulness and life thereof.

As the retaining member is frictionally retained in association with the beam, transverse adjustment of the support members may be eiected by suitably sliding the members and the connected retaining members parallel to the longitudinal extent of the beam. To remove the support member 23 the user merely depresses the front flange portion 29 to below the bottom 16 of the beam, swings the retaining member to the inclined position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 and after moving the retaining member rearwardly from the shelf 19 turns the retaining member 90 to arrange the T-portion parallel to the slot 26 whereupon the retaining member may be withdrawn downwardly from the slot.

I claim:

1. Rack structure comprising: a beam having a shelf portion, a support member having an end carried on the shelf portion and defining a slot opening in the support member. and a retaining member provided with a first wall, a second wall extending angularly from a portion of the first wall removably interlocked with the slot opening of the support member, and a flange portion extending angularly from a front edge portion of the retaining member first wall whereby the retaining member embraces the beam to lock the support member releasably to the beam through contact of the first wall, the second wall and the flange portion'along surfaces of the beam.

2. The rack structure of claim 1 wherein said retaining member is formed of a resilient material and said first and second walls extend convergingly :to be biased against adjacent surfaces of the beam. e

3. 'Ihe rack structure of clarnl wherein ASaid 'support member comprises a C-shapedcliannel. i

4. The rack structure of claim lwwherenisaid retaining member comprises a formed sheet metal member.

5. The rack structure ofclaim 1 wherein said front ange portion of the retaining member upstands angularly rearwardly.

2,674,431 4/1954 YAnwood 211-134 XR 3,077,959 2/1963 Mcoow et a1. f 287-18935 3,303,937 2/1967' McConnell 211-176 XR 3,252,679 5/1966 B311 248-235 FOREIGN PATENTS 675,532 7/1952 Great Britain.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner' R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

